Following pressure from local residents and Labour councillors Active Northumberland has now reversed its decision on no daily rents on Blyth Beach Huts.

Labour County Councillors for Blyth Anna Watson, Eileen Cartie, Kath Nisbet and Margaret Richardson said: “We’re very pleased that the decision has been reversed and a number of Blyth Beach Huts will be available for local people to rent on a daily basis for birthday parties, day trips and so on.

“Our only regret is that it had to come to this. On behalf of residents we did try to have a rational conversation with the Cabinet member for wellbeing, but felt fobbed off by the response we were getting.

“We understood the reason why short term rentals were stopped when we had to lockdown because of the pandemic, but we just couldn’t understand why a daily rental scheme wasn’t reintroduced to give local people access to these local iconic facilities.

“I think perhaps the council and Active Northumberland underestimated the strength of feeling local people had about this issue.

“Local people deserve the right to have short term access to this valued facility at the beach.”